


An Artifice in Silver

by 13atoms (2Atoms), WondersoftheMultiverse



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: F/M, Reader Insert, Slight mentions of death and violence, mentions of Cybermen Conversion
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-31
Updated: 2020-12-31
Packaged: 2021-03-11 00:35:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 16,789
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28456197
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/2Atoms/pseuds/13atoms, https://archiveofourown.org/users/WondersoftheMultiverse/pseuds/WondersoftheMultiverse
Summary: Angst to fluff swap fic challenge!You stumbled slightly as you struggled to keep up with the small group of people you had been assigned with, your hands clutched around your chest to try and hold in any semblance of your warmth, protecting yourself from the freezing cold darkness that threatened to pull it away from you as you marched down the lengthy corridor. Moans and whispers of discomfort and worry echoed across the metallic walls which surrounded you, their words muted to your ears by the deafening hydraulic hiss of the accompanying Cybermen’s march.
Relationships: The Master (Dhawan)/Reader
Comments: 11
Kudos: 30





	1. A Promise

**Author's Note:**

> The Angst to fluff fic swap challenge is finally here! This is the first one of the two (the second being an Orlo one which I am still working on!). The Idea behind this challenge is to try and change the theme of a fic from one extreme to another- so in short I started an Angsty fic and @13atoms was challenged to try and turn it around! Hopefully you all enjoy this because I sure as hell did and thanks again to atoms who has patiently waited while I get my shit together lmfao! 
> 
> Atoms Tumblr - https://13atoms.tumblr.com/  
> Atoms AO3 - https://archiveofourown.org/users/2Atoms/pseuds/13atoms  
> WondersoftheMultiverse Tumblr - https://wonders-of-the-multiverse.tumblr.com/

If someone had told you that this was how your Tuesday night was going to go, then you wouldn’t have believed them for a second.

You stumbled slightly as you struggled to keep up with the small group of people you had been assigned with, your hands clutched around your chest to try and hold in any semblance of your warmth, protecting yourself from the freezing cold darkness that threatened to pull it away from you as you marched down the lengthy corridor. Moans and whispers of discomfort and worry echoed across the metallic walls which surrounded you, their words muted to your ears by the deafening hydraulic hiss of the accompanying Cybermen’s march. 

You were being herded. Herded in like a pack of sardines towards a looming darkness, devoid of light and hope, your mind slowly being swallowed by an overwhelming sense of fear and apprehension.

_‘Where are you Doctor?’_

What you wouldn’t do to have the Master here with you now, his cocky grin filling his features as he sauntered around with a flourish. He always knew how to make you feel safe.

You weren’t supposed to be here now, miles beneath a foreign planet’s surface thousands of lightyears from home. Instead you were supposed to be surrounded by family and friends, enjoying your week’s break from travelling with the renegade Timelord. He had dropped you off before leaving to deal with business of his own, his goodbye ringing fresh in your mind as you allowed yourself to be pulled away from the growing sense of dread which pulsed through you.

Travelling with the Master had completely transformed your life, your old mundane routine crumbling away into a world of constant adventure and danger. However much you hated to admit it, you thrived on the adrenaline which would rush through you by just being in his presence, your heart hammering wildly in your chest as you’d run for your life, forever chased by the shadow of death which nipped at your heels. 

Admittedly choosing the Master had been difficult at first, your heated argument with the Doctor forever ringing through your head every time you saw a flash of anger fill his piercing eyes. The Master was a dark soul, filled with a symphony of emotions which dripped from every word and action he used. His volatile nature and unpredictable attitude was what powered him, what made him who he was. It was what had drawn you to him in the first place, your eyes connecting with his warm chocolate gaze as he shrugged off his pretense of O and embraced his true chaotic nature. 

The chaos had emanated from him in waves, intoxicating and enticing, wrapping around your heels and pulling you into the depths. Every bone in your body had screamed to turn and run from him, to fear this man who would play such an intricate game of chess to secure his friend’s death. 

But buried beneath it all you could see the shell of a man he once was - still was. An idiot who was easily overwhelmed and influenced by his feelings, someone longing for love and affection. It was the little things you had picked up on, the way his hands would tremor before a big decision, his lip quivering with indecision as he seemingly debated his next actions, the way his hands would tighten possessively around your waist. Truly the Master wasn’t as sure-headed and dark as he liked to portray, his true longing being for someone to just stand by him, to never give up on him. A companion to accompany him through his darkest nights.

So you had made your decision and never looked back. 

Your parting words had been curt and unnecessarily brash towards the Doctor as you marched from her TARDIS and towards his own. She had cornered you in a moment of weakness, the fam standing tall and backing her up, berating you and pleading you to change your mind and to see sense in your actions. 

In the end you could barely look at them as you had pulled the aged wooden door of the police box open wide, your hands balled into fists as you powered towards your new future beside him. 

You weren’t being _naïve_. You were _hopeful and optimistic_ , because everyone deserves a chance at change.

_Heck, if you had just listened to him in the first place then you wouldn’t have been in this situation now._

Only 36 hours ago you had been sprawled across the small rickety sofa in the Master’s TARDIS, its interior still mimicking that of O’s shack in the outback, a warm homely feeling that settled your nerves. The pulsing of the engines had slowly been lulling you into a mindless trance, sleep tugging at your consciousness as your body ached with exhaustion.

You had been quite content perched amongst the soft cushions of the chair, your fingers tracing the stitching on a blanket as you mesmerizingly watched the eccentric Timelord. Your eyes had been trailing his form for some time, quietly appreciating the way he danced around the central console with an ecstatic glee. 

_“So what do you think?” He called, his eyes meeting yours in the low light of the room; features basked in a bright red glow. “Where to next?”_

_Snapping from your trance-like state you mumbled an apology with a tight smile, your eyes avoiding his own as you looked down at the blanket clasped between your hands._

_“Sorry, m’tired is all. You were saying?”_

_The Master was on you in seconds, his hands pressed against your cheeks as he tilted your head side to side; eyes shifting over your features. Suppressing a sigh, you remained languid to his touch, your eyes fluttering closed as you focused on the heat that poured from his skin, his fingers delicately tucking a rogue strand of hair behind your ear._

_This openly soft nature only ever revealed itself when he was worried or anxious for your health, his heart bare on his sleeve as he would seemingly lower his defensive walls for you to see his very soul. When you had first spent a night locked within his embrace, sweat dripping from your forms as you clung to each other in a tangle of limbs, you had failed to see this tender caring side, his body shifting instantly as he left the room with a huff of disappointment and a cold gaze._

_But slowly things had changed, the more adventures you went on and disasters you had avoided, the more the Master seemed to open up to you. His heart was shifting and morphing into something new before your very eyes, his tall walls of protection lowering in your presence as he grew increasingly confident in your promise to stay by his side. You could tell that he was developing a soft spot for you, the previously meaningless sex dragging out longer and longer with every encounter, his form never straying too far from your side._

_You were hopeful, hopeful that maybe this could be the start of something new for you both. A label that you could finally plaster onto your relationship, a definition for the pulsing ache you felt in your heart whenever he was near._

_“Humans.” He had hissed with a roll of his eyes, his hand brushing down the curve of your cheek and along your jawbone as he tilted your head upwards. “So dramatic.”_

_You smirked playfully, your hands pushing away the blanket pooled in your lap as you pulled yourself to your feet to stand before him. “You love it really.”_

_“Maybe…” The Master tilted his head, his own eyes bright and teasing; brimming with a wicked humour. “-Maybe not. Especially not when it means I have to repeat myself-”_

_The Master released his grip on your chin with a wistful sigh, his head sagging as an ominous shadow fell across his eyes; a dark but playful promise reflected across their surface._

_“And you know I don’t like to repeat myself.”_

_Leaning into the accusation you raised your chin, your eyes lingering on his silky lips as you pressed your hand against your hip. As innocently as possible you rolled your head to the side, your bottom lip tucked between your teeth as you suppressed a smirk of your own._

_“Oh” You falsely exclaimed, your free hand pressing against your chest as you shamelessly continued to flirt. “But I thought you loved the sound of your own voice?”_

_A bright smile filled the Master’s face as a low chuckle slipped from his lips, his hand running across his beard before slipping into his hair; pulling his usually unruly fringe from his face._

_You allowed a small laugh to breathlessly leave your own body as he seemingly cracked under your rebuttal, this light-hearted version of himself drawing you further into his sphere of influence._

_It was addicting to see him so bright and devoid of darkness and anger, so rarely did a true smile fill his features, that each and every one you did witness felt like a moment to embrace and treasure._

_Picking up his usual stoic attitude, the Master stepped closer into your personal bubble, his arm snaking around your waist as he pulled you flush against him. Gasping you pressed your hands into his chest, your eyes locked onto his lips as he slowly ran his tongue across them, a purposeful tease to stoke the embers crackling within you._

_“Careful, love.” His voice drawled, his breath hot against your cheek as the corner of his lips brushed against your cheek and then your earlobe. “Or I’ll give you a real reason to be tired.”_

_A sigh slipped from your lips as you leaned into his touch, your fingers curling into the soft fabric of his suit as you closed your eyes and nestled into his neck. His familiar musk of cinnamon and leather encompassed you entirely, the racing of his hearts thrumming against your fingertips as your hands brushed against the back of his neck; seeking out the rogue tufts of hair. The Master’s arms tightened around you, your breath squeezed from your lungs as you breathlessly merged into him. You felt safe and warm, impervious to any harm that dared to come your way._

_Sometimes you wished you could stay in his arms forever._

_“I’m dropping you off.” The Master informed you as he pulled away from your form slowly, your embrace cut short as it usually was. The Timelord had never been any good at affectionate displays or actions, his caring self melting away beneath the nonchalant façade he usually wore._

_You frowned as his arms retracted away from your own, his fingers prying into your shoulders as he unravelled your form and recreated the distance between you. The cold chill of the room was quick to swamped you once more, the warmth you had revelled in quickly replaced._

_“I’ll be back to collect you in a week.”_

_“You’re dropping me off?”_

_The Master returned to the central console with a sigh, his back facing you as he leaned across the glowing panel. His body seemed to adopt a familiar tenseness that had once dissipated, his muscles contracted and pulling sharply against the suit he wore. His shoulders were hunched forwards and neck arched as he stared at the display of glowing buttons and displays with disinterest, his breaths taking on a soft hiss as he pulled them through his gritted teeth._

_You hadn’t seen him like this for so long, coiled up with a mismatch of energy, twirling tighter and tighter as it waited for the right moment to break. Since travelling with him you had worked to ease the tension day by day, a calmer nature adopting him as you twirled the valve on his heart and released the pressure._

_Whatever had gotten him so wound up and so quickly was obviously important, or worse, dangerous._

_“I have some-” His voice faltered, his hands clutching the side of the console tightly as he seemingly grounded himself; his anger funnelling through the contact and into the TARDIS itself. “-Business to attend to. You’ll only distract me… get in my way-”_

_You shook your head in defiance, your feet moving forwards before you could even contemplate your actions._

_“Master-”_

_“Besides it’ll give you time to sleep. To eat, wash, speak to your mundane friends and family- whatever it is you humans do…”_

_“Master.” You asserted once more, your voice strong as you straightened your shoulders and faced him down. “What business?”_

_The Timelord twisted his head slowly, his eyes narrowed as a small vein in his temple pulsed. Anger filled his features as he ground his teeth, his body almost vibrating with an uncontrollable energy. For a moment you failed to see the man you had slowly been catching feelings for, his form dwarfed by the shadow of the monster he once was. Perhaps this is what the Doctor had always warned you about, the darkness that seemed to inhabit him was finally taking control once again, its twisted presence never once giving up on the prize it held claim to._

_As though he could read your thoughts, the Master turned sharply back to the console, his hand coming down on a lever as he started to pilot the TARDIS to your next destination, eyes never once meeting your own._

_You knew that you were trying your luck with his mood at the minute, his unpredictable swings taking you back to the first few months you had spent by his side._

_You would be lying if you said it didn’t still scare you at times, his swings between the extremes never failing to leave you with some form of emotional whiplash. To witness his face melt from a content happiness into an overwhelming fury and rage in a millisecond always set your nerves on edge, a lead weight dropping in your stomach as you doubted your own actions. It was so hard to resist the whispers of discontent that ran rampant in your mind when he turned, your head doubting the existence of the man you had once seen hidden beneath the torrent of emotions he held._

_But usually it almost – no, always - subsided into a half-hearted apology or diversion, the moment forgotten within minutes._

_Perhaps this was just another one of those moments, a slight bump in his road to reform._

_Feeling the cold claw of doubt curl around your heart, you voiced the question which lingered on your tongue._

_“You’re not-” You paused, your fingers entwining together as you fidgeted nervously._

_“You’re not planning on doing anything stupid… are you?”_

_“Have my plans ever been stupid?” The Master rebutted with a cool laugh, his true feelings betrayed by the hard smack and low growl he released on to the unsuspecting display screen._

_The TARDIS whistled and bubbled with tones in response, almost as though it was chastising him for his childish temper. The Master groaned as he held his hands up in a sign of mock forgiveness, his eyes tuned to the central column which spun with a slow wheeze._

_You remained silent as he seemingly simmered down from the precipice of fury he had lingered on, his jaw working in a small motion as he leant across the console with a low sigh._

_Curiosity pressed you into taking another step forward, your mind struggling to work out how he had snapped so harshly from relaxed and teasing to furious and cold the next._

_“What I mean is…” You sighed as you raised a hand upwards in confusion, a half-hearted symbol of your pre-arranged surrender if he were to explode at your questioning._

_“This business isn’t just another one of your grand plans to take down the Doctor? Is it?”_

_The Master froze on the opposite side of the console, his head tilted to the side as he seemingly considered your statement. Your worry tripled tenfold as his silence more or less confirmed your suspicions, his shoulders rolling backwards as he pushed himself away from the display of buttons and nodded in affirmation to himself._

_With a flourish the Timelord pulled a small smile onto his features, his arms held wide as he seemingly slipped into the costume of another false persona. Stepping around to face you, his feet skipped forwards with an elaborate shuffle, his hands shifting through the air as he animatedly gestured towards you._

_“Do you really think I would plan to take down the Doctor and not have you by my side to witness it?”_

_He drew to a stop in front of the console, his back leaning against the cool metal counter as he watched you in consideration._

_“Yes.” You asserted with confidence, your fingers still tightly wrapped together as you sought to anchor your anxiety._

_The Master gasped dramatically, his hand pressing to his chest as though he had been burnt._

_“Ouch.”_

_“Please.” You pleaded as you moved to close the gap between you once more, your heart aching for the soft and peaceful embrace you had shared. The unpredictable nature which had once drawn you in now threatened to leave you stranded and broken, your heart twinging with the need to be close as your eyes searched for a mere sparkle of the kind man hidden beneath it all._

_“You promised me-”_

_“I promised a lot of things, love.” The Master snapped, his tone serious and monotonous. “Things can get a little fuzzy with age-”_

_“You know exactly what I’m talking about.” You pressured back, your tone disapproving to any sly plans he may have brewing. “I’m not asking you to change, I’m just-”_

_“Asking me not to kill anyone who doesn’t deserve it.” The Master mimicked in a high pitch, his eyes rolling as he stepped away with a dramatic twirl. “Not to enslave civilisations, destroy solar systems, planets or starbases… Oh! And no disguises.”_

_“UGH!” He cried into the air, his head whipping back as he groaned loudly. “So boring!”_

_“Master-”_

_The Timelord turned back to you, his hands reaching for your own as he slipped his fingers between them, breaking your tether and replacing them with himself. Breathlessly you gasped in surprise, the dread and worry which had rattled you sucked away by his presence in an instance. With a tight squeeze the Master sought to reassure you further, his touch bringing an odd sense of comfort despite the fact he couldn’t seem to meet you in the eyes._

_“If it makes you feel better, love.” The Master whispered, his eyes shifting from your own then to your lips, before finally falling to your entwined hands. “I can assure you that I won’t be doing anything of the sort.”_

_Your stomach twisted sharply, anxiety rattling through your bones as your heart tore itself in two. Something about the way he acted was unsettling you, his shifty personality and fidgeting stance setting you on edge._

_“You promise?”_

_The Master’s eyes widened as they finally found the courage to lock on to your own, their surfaces glimmering in the low light of the room as he tilted his head. His features suddenly seemed impossibly soft, the frown lines which usually pulled at his forehead and eyes gone. He seemed lighter and almost hurt that you would question his motives in such a way, his thumb brushing against your palm as he tethered your wandering mind back to the question at hand._

_Feeling guilty for not giving him the trust he earnt you over the past few months, you inclined your head._

_“Ok. I-I’m sorry. I’m just a little-”_

_You gestured to your head as you pulled your hands away from his grip, your eyelids becoming progressively heavier as you struggled to follow a single train of thought. The Master smiled warmly as he wrapped his hand around your neck once more, drawing you closer to press a soft kiss to your forehead._

_“Go get some sleep.” He commanded, his words muffled against your skin. His coarse fingertip trailing from your neck and back to your cheek, wrapping itself into your hair as he comfortingly stroked it back and away from your face._

_“I have a lot planned for our next adventure. How does breaking into the galaxy’s most secure bank sound? It’ll be my second time but-”_

_“Second?” You smiled half-heartedly as he continued to brush your hair. With a shiver you smiled into the touch, one of his hands brushing against your temple. “It can’t be that secure then.”_

_“I’ll show you.” The Master hummed again, his voice low as his hand uncurled and one of his fingers lightly traced the side of your head, lingering on the soft skin of your temple._

_“Soon enough. I just need you to stay safe while I’m gone.”_

_Suddenly the weight that had plagued you lifted from your shoulders, your eyes becoming impossibly heavy as you slumped further into his arms. It was as though your body had suddenly decided to rest, your limbs shutting down and becoming detached one by one, the Master’s contact your only connection to consciousness._

_Shakily your hands slipped beneath his thick purple coat, your body drawn into his as though he was the sun to your moon. Resting your cheek against his shoulder, you closed your eyes and relished in the way your anxiety and doubt drained from your mind, your thoughts falling blank as the wave of sleep crashed into you. The suspicion which had been closing in on your heart freezing in its place as you surrendered to the overwhelming pull of sleep._

_“I can’t wait.” You slurred, the Master’s hand suddenly shifting from the side of your face to wrap around you; supporting you from collapsing to the floor._

_A small voice in your mind protested to stay awake, to push him further as to his plans but you suddenly found that you didn’t care. Your mind was unsteady and easily distracted, focused solely on the warmth that filled your heart as he wrapped you up tightly within his embrace._

_In the morning you would question the dry tears which stained your cheeks, but in that moment all you could think about was how much it comforted you to feel his face pressed into the top of your head, his voice a whisper of undecipherable words._

_“Just….” You mumbled as your legs finally gave way. The Master’s grip on your slipped as he pulled you up and into his arms, your grip on consciousness releasing as you tumbled into the darkness._

_“Stay…. safe-”_

Screaming tore you from your reverie as your eyes snapped onto an approaching chamber, the metal walls giving way to a large bolted door with small porthole windows which eased open with a screech. The metal doors peeled apart to reveal an ominous bright chamber of lights, the walls lined with strange pod like doors, and ceiling filled with retractable arms each flashing with a red LED. A cold chill settled over you as you looked towards the chamber with unease, a sense of finality settling in your bones as you failed to identify an exit.

The Cybermen which guided you halted in their march, their hands pressing against their chest before extending towards the group. You froze in your spot, legs rooted to the concrete ground as you stared at their glowing weapons in fear, the cold shell they housed promising to haunt your nightmares for eternity.

“You will be converted.” One of the Cybermen ordered, his digital tone crackling. “Those who are not compatible will be _deleted_.”

As if to emphasise its point, the metallic creature fired a single blast into the crowd, a shrill cry reverberating around the corridor as the cold corpse of a mother fell to the ground. 

You gasped in shock, your hand covering your mouth as you watched a young child grasp at the body across from you, tears cascading down their face as you felt your own eyes well in response.

“Proceed.” The Cybermen ordered once more, your small group shuffling into the chamber reluctantly.

You hesitated at the back, your eyes wide as you silently prayed for a divine intervention. You were not oblivious as to what the Cybermen meant by conversion, you had wandered the Cybercarrier above Gallifrey before, helped pry their shell cases open to remove the unidentifiable mush of human limbs and organs. A wave of nausea overwhelmed you, your body arching as a gag tore from your throat, bile filling the back of your mouth before spilling across the concrete floor.

How you wished you hadn’t accepted the Doctor’s offer to talk. You had been preparing to catch-up with your family the day after the Master had left, your hands busy as you prepared a small afternoon tea when she knocked. Her eyes had been so wide and sad, her hair longer and head tilted as you invited you back to the TARDIS for a catch-up.

Of course, a catch-up had then turned into a short trip at the sign of a distress call, your choice taken from you as she promise to return you back to the same point of time.

“Proceed or you will be deleted.”

You straightened yourself once more, your hand wiping across your mouth as you noted that you were the only human still outside the chamber; weapons aimed towards you in a threatening stance.

“ _Come on_.” You prayed beneath your breath as you took a shaky step forwards, your faith in the Doctor’s timing faltering with every passing second. “Please”

As you passed the threshold the Cybermen clasped their chests once more, a shrill beep ringing throughout the room as the large metal doors started to hiss closed, the lights above you flashing as they signalled the start of the conversion process. 

Your heart plummeted as you felt your breath catch in your chest, your world spinning as you heaved, desperately gulping down air as panic took hold of your heart.

“Y/N!”

That voice.

“Y/N!”

Your eyes widened as you turned back the way you came, the familiar silhouette of the Master sprinting towards you. His eyes were wide with fright as he clutched his TCE tightly, his arms flailing as he closed the distance which separated you.

The panic which submerged you eased as a spark of hope blossomed within you, your stomach twisting and skin tingling as you stepped forwards to try and meet him. 

“Master?” You questioned, the tears you harboured spilling from your eyes as you smiled in relief. 

“MASTER!”

Your feet surged forwards towards the door, your hand wide and ready to meet him only to be halted by a single Cyberman. The metallic creature’s arm extended sharply, its weapon daunting as he pushed you back through the doors just as they slammed shut. 

Stumbling, you quickly pushed yourself against the rusting metal door, your hands wiping away the condensation from one of the small glass portholes as you watched the Master stop before the large chamber.

Heaving he turned to one of the two Cybermen which lingered by your only exit, his hair ruffled and unkept as he raised his TCE threateningly towards the creature.

“OPEN THE DOOR!” He roared with anger, his eyes manic as his arm tremoring. “OPEN IT.”

“They are to be converted.”

“OPEN…” The Master hissed again, spittle flying from his mouth as his body shook. “Open the door.” 

You frowned as the Cyberman simply stood still, its weapon not raised nor primed to shoot the Timelord down. A large crash rumbled throughout the chamber, the lights above you warming from a stark red towards a low amber as the apparatus began to vibrate. Glancing back towards the Master, your wide eyes met his own as a flash of trepidation passed across them.

“OPEN IT NOW!” The Master roared as he activated the TCE, the Cyberman which had forced you back into the small chamber disappearing before your eyes. Running a hand across his face, the Timelord stamped down on the ground; a sharp crack filling the air as he crushed the plastic remnants beneath his foot.

Beside him the Cyberman which remained looked from the small figure on the floor and back to the Timelord, his mouth flashing a shrill blue as it responded in kind.

“The conversion process cannot be prevented.”

“I AM YOUR _MASTER_ , YOU WILL OBEY ME!” The Master tried again, his TCE now pointed towards the remaining Cyberman. 

“NOW OPEN THE DOOR!”

Your heart froze in your chest as the world around you fell away, a numbness filling your limbs as his words echoed throughout your mind. It was in that moment that everything seemingly clicked into place, the strange fog which had clouded your mind clearing as the fear of being converted flooded your veins. 

The _Master’s_ plan, his _sudden appearance_ , the way the Cybermen _hadn’t attacked him_ the moment he turned up. How could you have been so blind? So naïve to the clues which were sprawled out before you?

Perhaps this wasn’t an accident. 

Recalling the Doctor’s sorrow filled gaze as you parted confirmed your darkest thoughts.

“Your Master?” You whispered, your voice barely carrying through the thick glass which separated you.

The Master’s eyes snapped across to your own, his shoulders heaving as he seemingly still struggled to catch his breath. His appearance was more dishevelled than usual, his suit pulled to one side and coat covered in black grease, dirt and dust. Even through the glass you could see how his hand quivered as he held the TCE high, his fingers curling and uncurling around the trigger and he danced with fate. He didn’t need to say anything to confirm your thoughts. His defences were shattered, leaving everything you needed to see reflected in his eyes.

_Guilt. Sorrow. Hopelessness._

“This is _you_?” You uttered again, your skin turning cold as you came to terms with his betrayal. “All of this is **_you_**?” 

The Master’s mouth fell open, his eyes shifting away from your own as he turned back to glare at the Cyberman before him. 

Feeling your heart turn cold you pulled your hand away from the glass, the tears which had slipped down your cheeks merging into rivers as a sob caught in the back of your throat. 

“You….” You felt broken, face crumpled into sadness as you kept your eyes locked steadily on to his form. “You _killed_ those innocent people, the-”

A pressure twisted in your chest, your lungs contracting as you felt yourself deflate like a balloon which had been pierced. Memories of your time spent together flashing across your eyes, your heart tugged and pulled as you felt your blossoming affection crumble within your grip; a sense of love slipping through your fingers like sand. 

“ _You’re_ doing this to _me_?”

“No.” The Master answered tersely, his eyes finally meeting your own once more. “No, you’re going to be _fine_. I just-”

The room around you erupted to life, the amber lights flashing green as they signalled the start of the process. A shriek of metal rang throughout the room as two large fans in the ceiling spun to life, the suffocating heat around you growing as people stumbled away from the walls in fear. You winced as a young man roared in pain, his body crumpling to the ground as the people around you trampled him in a vain attempt to preserve their own lives.

“What’s happening?” You stuttered, panic filling your form as you pressed yourself up against the door. Behind you the Master growled, his body arching forwards as he threateningly nudged the Cyberman before him.

“Open the door.”

“The conversion-”

Its shrill response was cut short with a flick of the Timelord’s wrist, the remaining shell of a human falling to the floor with a soft clink. 

Spinning around you turned towards the man who had unwittingly put your life into danger, a shiver slipping down your spine as your eyes silently pleaded for him to save you. 

“Master-”

“SHUT-UP!” He roared as he stepped closer to the glass, his eyes wide and shimmering in the low light as he ran his hand across his beard in thought. 

“I’m trying to think, to-”

You jumped as one of the arms above you erupted into life, its joint whining from use as it slowly extended down towards the scrambling crowd below it. Screams and cries filled the room as people came to terms with their fate, your hands clamping around your ears as you closed your eyes and tried to will them away. You needed a distraction, something to take your mind off the impending doom that stalked you; death finally backing you into a corner to have her way.

Turning back to the glass porthole, you willed yourself not to look back at the terrors and atrocities occurring behind you. Their screams of pain and anguish torturing you enough as it was. Instead you stared vehemently at the Master, your face crumpled into regret and sorrow for yourself.

“I _trusted_ you.” You hissed, as you watched him tinker with the door’s mechanism. “You _promised_ me-”

“YOU WEREN’T MEANT TO BE HERE!” The Master growled in turn, his eyes only briefly meeting yours before turning back to the bolts that kept you trapped.

“But the moment I was gone you turned back to your _precious_ Doctor-”

“THAT’S NOT THE POINT!” You cried as the screams rose in pitch, “You think it makes it any better if I wasn’t here-”

The Timelord roared as he kicked the door in frustration, his body twirling away as he ran his hands through his hair. Slowly the screams and cries around you subsided, the pitch dropping as the room seemingly stuttered to a halt. With his back facing towards you, you turned to look at the arms which hung down above you, their positions locked into place mere inches from their targets.

“What’s happening?” Someone whispered, their body shaking as they peered up at the instruments of death.

Above you the fans ceased their spinning, the grates which shielded them opening fully as a thick green gas filtered through. 

“Master?”

The Master turned back towards the door, his eyes wide as he surged forwards towards the small glass window which separated you. Glancing his way you stumbled across towards the other door, his own body following you as you steered away from the gas which swamped the room. 

You were terrified, your heart hammering wildly in your chest as your head spun with a strange sense of resignation. With chattering teeth you turned back to face the glass window, your body pressing against the cold iron door as you sought out any form of comfort to ease you through the end. 

Meeting the Master’s gaze you pushed away the hurt and betrayal you felt from his actions, your heart longing for only one thing, and one thing only. Comfort in your final moments, a soft smile and glimpse at the person you had fought so long to reveal, to encourage into being. Sniffling, you wiped your hand across your face, your eyesight blurring from the tears which endlessly slipped from the corner of your eyes.

“I’m _scared._ ”

The Master’s eyes widened as he seemingly acknowledged what you were asking from him, his hand reluctantly splaying across the glass as he held your eyes. 

“Don’t be-” He sighed, his tone steady despite the situation. “Don’t be so _melodramatic_ , you’re going to be _fine_.”

You sobbed as your head fell against the glass, your eyes closed as you contemplated your life choices. You had been so stupid, a fool and a slave to your empathetic nature. An idiot who always chose matters of heart over the logic and sense.

“Please just-” You hummed, your breathing evening out as you tried to focus on a brighter memory, somewhere far away from the green smoke looming down. 

“Just help me to not to be _here_.”

Silence.

Opening your eyes you met the Master’s broken gaze, his eyes shifting from your own to the mass of people which clumped together behind you. In an instant determination filled his features once more, his hand slipping away from the glass as his gaze hardened.

“Don’t breathe in the gas” He commanded, “I’m _going_ to get _you_ out.”

“It’s too late.” You whimpered, your eyes shifting back to the group as the gas fell down around you.

“Look at _me_.” The Master commanded, “LOOK AT ME!”

You turned, your gazes interlocking as he nodded in confirmation.

“I’m going to get you out. I _promise_.”

“You promised me before.” You sighed, tendrils of gas brushing against your skin as the room started to vibrate once more. 

In an instant your head started spinning as the gas’ nauseating effects started to take hold. Behind you the cries and mumbles of fear fell silent, soft thuds filling the room as they crumpled one by one. 

Taking one last inhale, you held your breath for as long as you could, your eyes streaming as you simply stared ahead at the Master, your mind falling back to the hopeless daydreams you were usually a slave to in the hopes it would shield you from the impending darkness. 

Visions and scenes of a life spent together wrapped around your mind like a blanket, your feelings for each other labelled and clear for all to see, expressed by small affectionate actions and heated passionate kisses. Even in your dreams it was a life filled with excitement and adventure, only you would always make it back to the safety of his TARDIS, where shy glances and sultry gazes would lead to your bodies entwined. Skin to skin and endlessly connected, breaths hot and heavy as you each took to exploring the others skin, marking it and claiming it as your own; exerting your mind as you conjoined as one.

Bitterly you realised that everyone those daydreams were a false façade, The Master’s true nature shown through the metal coffin that housed you now.  
He watched as you pulled your shirt over your face, legs buckling as you leant against the wall for support. The cool door barely softened your fall as you hit the ground, clinging to the metal which separated the pair of you, even as you fought to stay conscious.

The gasps and sobs of everyone else in the chamber were being quietened out. Made more distant as their bodies fell too and your mind lost clarity. With the last of your energy you looked up to the window, finally letting a sob wrack your body when you were met with a blank corridor. 

The Master had left. 

With that one shocked cry your fate was sealed. 

You heard a distant roar, accompanied by the sickening grinding of metal, as you succumbed to sleep.


	2. A Trap

It felt your though your head had only just collided with the ground when you were shaken awake. Your body been moved, swept awkwardly aside as you slept, clearing a path to the rest of the collapsed crowd from the door. Your head and limbs ached from the hard concrete of the ground, the air no longer green with smoke as you squinted to try and make out the people in the rest of the chamber.

All still human.

A few of them were moving, while others were out cold. You could only hope those nearer the epicentre of the gas being released were simply unconscious, their ragdoll bodies making you wince as they were shaken, loved ones and strangers alike desperately trying to wake them from their unnatural sleep. You could see the horror on the survivors’ faces as they picked over the group, struggling to regain movement in their own aching limbs even as that human instinct to _help_ kicked in. Everyone looked worse for wear.

Motionless Cyber units now stood centurion around the room’s locked doors, terrifying even in their stillness. They appeared to be without instruction, frozen in place, but very much still functional. What was wrong with them? You knew the answer. Your mind drifted back to The Master.

Where the hell was he?

How could he do this to you?

To any one of these people?

A stranger filled your vision, and you felt panic surging through you instantly, heart pumping enough adrenaline to power your chemically-weakened muscles.

“You alright?”

The woman had the authority and certainty of a someone medically trained, a kindness in her eyes even through her fear. She grabbed at your shoulders, checking your vital signs, moving her hands to watch if your eyes tracked them. You groaned. It was all too much, too intense, and you tried not to see rude as you flinched away.

“I’m fine thanks,” you dismissed, peering past her.

You couldn’t take your eyes off the sheer numberof people in here.

With a nod she scurried away, back to the rest of the room. They had no idea what was happening, peering up in fear at the frozen metallic claws, at the empty faces of the Cybermen.

You had been so close becoming that. Rotting flesh, trapped inside of a walking tombstone, at the whim of the hivemind which controlled these _creatures_. You shivered, noticing one frozen in place a few metres behind where the Master had been. They must have encroached on the halted conversion room whilst you’d been asleep, creeping in like demons in the night. Fear gripped you at the idea of those monsters stepping over your unconscious, unguarded body, preserving your form only for its use to them as a puppet.

Since you’d taken those casings apart, you’d been terrified of them. Of the fate which befell those trapped inside, stripped of their humanity. None of those people inside were any more or less worthy of life than you, no one had saved them. They were undead, beyond saving but not yet released from life.

You shuddered.

Your legs continued to shake as you clambered to your feet, tiptoeing closer to one of the Cybermen, expecting it to jump back to life any moment. One question wouldn’t leave your mind: Why were you still human?

You suspected the Master’s involvement but, from the devastation on his face as the gas descended, perhaps he hadn’t had as much influence as you’d thought. With another glance back at the door, you reminded yourself that your worst fears had been realised: he was still gone. Only a frozen monster in an otherwise empty corridor loomed back at you, still locked away by the thick doors which had separated you from him.

They must have closed again after Cybermen entered the chamber, and you knew you couldn’t open them. Cybermen were far too methodical to allow your escape.

Nothing added up. Especially that you were alive without The Master’s involvement.

Had he left on purpose? Assumed you dead? Given up on you?

You couldn’t bear to think about the worst case scenario: that he wouldn’t come back for you. Was he already running, a million lightyears away? Had the Doctor gotten to him?

Had he gotten to the Doctor?

Dwelling on your fears did nothing but make you freeze.

You needed to _do_ something.

There were still people who needed help, you could help them.

But you couldn’t be drawn away from the door. For a sickening moment you wondered if you had imagined him, the way he trembled, begged for you to fight off the inevitable. Perhaps induced by your fear, had you imagined the one person in the universe who could comfort you?

You longed for him to come back, to tut at you for being so scared and tease you for not having a respiratory bypass system.

Instead, he was gone. You were trapped. The noise of the crowd had gradually increased again, raising to a murmur as whispers and hushed sobs of children echoed off the walls. Tones were hushed, everyone terrified of waking the machinery again. Of restarting the horror. Every movement in the room spooked people, and the crackle of an overhead announcement system made people huddle together, whispering frantically as you all anticipated a robotic voice.

 _‘You will be converted_ ’ still stung fresh in your ears, that sound which had followed you, been offered as the only explanation for what was happening.

That soulless reading of a death sentence still loomed over everyone trapped here.

You tried to stand strong in your position – if nothing else you could be a barrier between the crowd and whatever came through this door – even as freshly-dried tears made your eyes ache.

When a Yorkshire lilt called your name through the speakers, and you smiled.

“Here!”

The group of people backed away from you, watching with equal fear and curiosity as you desperately shouted up to the ceiling, hoping she could hear you.

“I can open one of the doors for a moment, need a power surge and an external battery, it’s a whole _thing._ Can you see me?”

You scanned the perimeter of the conversion chamber, and spotted movement on the far side of the room. A few of the crowd moved to let you through, whispering, and you could have cried with relief. Her mane of blonde hair was visible through the clear panel of a door, and she waved to you manically as you jogged over it. It was a harsh contrast to how you’d spotted The Master. This time, your relief was warranted.

Unable to hear her, you relied on trying to understand how she pointed frantically to the ground at your feet, before crouching as the played with wires sticking out of something which looked suspiciously-bomb-like. You mirrored her pose, hidden from each other, now below the glass of the window.

You could hear muttering behind you, the shudder of your own breath, as you waited.

There was no rejecting the Doctor’s help now, no matter where your loyalties or personal grievances lay. With the Master gone, she was your only way out.

You had to trust her.

With a gut-wrenching clang the door suddenly shuddered and rose upwards. The thick metal looked too heavy to stop if it fell, but you just held your breath and rolled underneath, trusting her yelled command of:

“Quick!”

She scrambled to pull you clear of the door as it slammed closed like the heavy drop of a guillotine blade, making you cry out as it shook the ground. You had barely made it. That impact would have been fatal.

“Doctor!”

She was already stood, hands on hips. You found yourself left shaking on the ground. She was already on to the next problem.

“I hope that didn’t rewake the system.” She mused as she picked at the smoldering wires, seemingly unaffected by your near-death experience.

You were panting, staring at her in shock. While you’d realised a long time ago that she wasn’t any more careful with your wellbeing than the Master, you couldn’t believe her complete nonchalance. Were The Master in her shoes he would be dragging you back to his TARDIS, apologising for putting you in the situation, his bravado stripped the second he’d seen your wellbeing at stake. He’d be all gentle hands and mumbled reassurance, fury at every single person responsible for the construction of the machinery which had scared you so much.

The memory of his face through the door of the conversion room made your chest hurt, your eyes sting, and you knew he’d never forgive himself for being so reckless. For putting you at risk.

When you looked up, expecting a concerned look at the minimum, you saw the Timelord’s spot vacated. A rat’s nest of wires were the only indication she’d even been beside you. The Doctor was already walking away, shoes clicking on the metallic floor of yet another identical corridor. The Cybermen here were still too, making you hug yourself and run to keep up with her.

“What’s happening?”

“I don’t know,” he ground out.

The Doctor couldn’t stand not knowing. She consulted her sonic screwdriver with a scrunched-up face, holding it to her ear, scanning one of the stationary suits as you finally caught up.

“Where’s the Master?” You demanded.

“What?”

“The Master.”

Her face turned dark, and she scowled.

“Of course he’s involved in all this. I should have known. Right, um…”

With another wave and buzz of the sonic screwdriver, she scowled at the result, then at you.

“Got him.”

Perhaps you shouldn’t have told her that he was here. Would it put him at risk? Would it put _her_ at risk? You couldn’t bring yourself to feel guilty. They would have met eventually, dragged together like unwilling magnets. They always converged eventually. And you _really_ needed to see him.

The Doctor took off running, backtracking occasionally as she followed the trace of him the sonic had picked up. You tried in vain to remember these featureless corridors, should you need to navigate back alone. It wouldn’t work. This facility was endless, an economically designed rabbit warren marked with ruthlessly minimal symbols which you couldn’t discern meaning from.

You wouldn’t be able to get out of here alone.

You spared a thought for the poor souls still trapped in the room you’d escaped, cowering under those metal claws and eyeless Cybermen, herded here like trembling sheep.

As you ran after the blonde Timelord the corridor suddenly opened to a large hangar-style door, like the hotwired one you had barely made it under. Seeing the metal above you made you shutter and halt at the threshold, but adrenaline forced you onwards. You cared more about what was inside, _who_ was inside.

You could see him. Hunched over a computer, Cybermen shrunken at his feet like dolls, the Master was in a state of mania as he ripped the room apart.

Seeing him The Doctor gasped and tugged you around a corner and out of view of the room. You went to whisper a protest, but found her lean hand clapped over your mouth, barely touching but enough to stop you giving away her hiding spot.

“Just trust me,” she insisted. “Stay here.”

She grabbed your hand, squeezing it as though you might be less inclined to follow her somehow.

You couldn’t. Despite everything, you felt the draw of the Master, and she tugged your arm to hold you from straying too close to him as you peeked around the corner, just watching him.

His booming voice was unmistakable as he shouted into the room, but his face was hidden from you. The control room of the underground building was sparking and torn apart in places, The Master’s precise tapping of computer keys was interspersed with the ruthless smashing of server racks as he threw them to the ground, scattering the technology. His dismantling of the room was equal parts strategic and uncontrolled destruction, and you worried for the blood seeping from his knuckles and forearms, his jacket strewn aside and sleeves rolled up.

As he took another break from the computer system to punch at a glass pane, you couldn’t let him hurt himself anymore. You surged forward from your hiding spot, feeling the Doctor trying to hold you back. Adrenaline and _happiness to see him_ was all which powered your body.

Calling to him, you imagined his excitement at realising you were alive. Maybe he’d stop smashing. Take you to safety.

“MAST–”

The Doctor grabbed you around the waist, pulling you against her body, muting you with a single hand clamped vice-tight over your mouth. For a moment the pair of you waited in silence, shocked by each other’s actions in equal measure. 

“I don’t know what he’s done to you, but you need to stay away from him.”

Her accent grew stronger as she whispered, and you frowned. Her hand allowed you to breathe through your nose, but was tight around your jaw, her grip as strong as the Master’s.

“This is between us. You need to go back to the TARDIS.”

Not her TARDIS, you were sure of that.

You grunted into her hand, making her yell in pain as you bit down on the flesh of her palm, wriggling to get free. It didn’t even matter who she was: you refused to be manhandled. Your eyes flashed to the corridor, hoping The Master had noticed you, run to your rescue.

No footsteps came.

With a sigh, her hands found your temple, and your body weakened.

“I’m sorry, it’s a dirty trick. He’s done worse, I’m certain.”

You wanted to cry when you realised she was right. But not for the reasons she thought.

Her TARDIS was a mere few-minutes’ walk from where the pair of you had hidden, and she half-carried you the whole way, her mouth set in a grim line which terrified you more than any time the Master had ever shouted around you. You wanted to struggle, to fight her, but your body was too weakened to do anything.

You couldn’t even cry out, forced into obeying her, muscles made limp by her touch on your mind.

Setting you on the ground in the console room, she finally uncovered your mouth and dashed to the doors, calling back to you. As quickly as you had lost it, you suddenly you regained your strength, able to run at her.

“Stay in here.”

“DOCTOR!”

She darted out of the time ship just in time to escape your fury.

The TARDIS doors slammed closed, locking in an instant as you rushed to try and tug them open. It was no use, your whole body weight against the wood couldn’t move those doors.

You looked up at the ceiling of the sentient ship, hoping she might take your side, only to be met with the gentle hum of the time rotor.

“I need to get out,” you begged. “Please!”

Your exit remained barred.

A blue-tinged screen on the console flickered to life, and you left your post by the doors to peer at it. You could hear muffled voices outside, the screen showing a mute overhead view of the Doctor and her best enemy. 

“Please,” you whispered to her, stroking the console. You hoped she was like the Timelords who piloted her, using the touch to tune into your heart. “Let me talk to them.”

There was static, then a click, and you rushed back to the doors. They were still locked.

As you spun to the console in confusion, two familiar voices echoed through the ship’s speakers.

“Is she in there?”

It was him, voice desperate, demanding. The Master.

“No.”

The Doctor was a weak liar at times. He’d see through her. You pounded your fists at the translucent glass of the doors, then held one palm flat against it, begging him to notice you.

He did.

“Doctor!” He taunted. “You lied to me!”

“Stay away from her.”

Glancing back at the monitor, you could see how the Doctor’s body blocked his access to the door, positioning herself between the two of them.

“She wants to see me.”

“She doesn’t.”

You wanted to scream, object as The Doctor stood cross-armed guard between him and the ship. Your words couldn’t permeate the doors.

“Is she okay?”

The feed showed how his attire was destroyed in places, how he slumped, and something else too…

“You’re crying!” The Doctor declared, shock clear in her voice.

The Master didn’t hesitate, taking a long stride towards her, making The Doctor jut her chin out.

“Is she ALIVE?”

You didn’t need the audio feed to hear his yell, and you could see how the blonde Timelord recoiled.

“Obviously!”

He relaxed a little, taking back control, but you could still see how anger dripped off him. His words escaped him as a growl – frustration and fear a melting pot in his voice.

“You have no idea what could be in that stuff she breathed. You haven’t even checked her over, _Doctor._ ”

“Oh, as if you actually care.”

One of them would snap, the Master’s snarling voice met with a harsh laugh from the other Timelord. One of them would just throttle the other, pull the TCE or a gun from some deep recesses of their pockets, or snap the others’ neck. One of them would survive, pulling you into their arms over the broken body of the other.

You couldn’t bear it. Tension seeped through the doors, through the silence of the TARDIS speakers and the bluelight of the screen.

“I care so much it _frightens me._ Can you imagine that, Doctor? That it scares _me_?”

He got closer to her face, almost spitting from anger.

“You’re lying,” she growled.

“I destroyed the Cyberium.”

In the grainy monitor you saw her take pause, inspecting his face for a moment, like she’d be able to see whether the Cyberium had left him from nothing but his panting and the whites of his eyes.

You’d heard about it in vague terms, the Cyber AI which he’d absorbed. You’d seen how he avoided the species like the plague as you travelled, the way he fought with it inside his own head sometimes.

Even when it seemed to cause him unbearable pain, he’d promised you it wasn’t that bad. Only in the quiet moments, when he thought you couldn’t see, did you catching him muttering to himself with his eyes pressed shut.

“You what?”

The Doctor looked disbelieving.

“I followed it. I obeyed it, helped it, and this is how it rewarded me. So I _killed it_.”

Speechless, The Doctor just stared at him.

“I’ll give you the command codes if you like, just let me take her. Please.”

“Have you hypnotized her?”

The Doctor’s new line of attack made you wince, spitting out her words like poison. The Master held his hands up in a surrender, a small silver box tucked under one thumb.

“No. I swear.”

“Let me talk to her first.”

For a moment, the Master seemed to look straight through the monitor, directly at you, and you swore he could tell you were watching. You moved closer to the screen, arms folded nervously as his eyes flickered back to the Doctor.

“Have it your way. I’ll be in the ship’s command room.” He turned to walk away, but you heard his voice still, steady through the speakers. “If you dematerialise, Doctor, I will hunt you down. And everyone left here _will_ die.”

He marched off and you watched on the monitor as he left, longing to run to him as much as you wanted to kill him. The Doctor’s image paused for a moment, and you could see her pacing outside the TARDIS doors. Distracted by the live feed, you jumped when the doors finally banged open. The screen went black, and you silently thanked the ship for being on your side.

“Let me go.”

You told her firmly as she trudged towards the console, playing with one of the instruments like she was toying with just piloting the ship away.

“I will.”

The pair of you stood in silence for a moment, and you longed to say more, but what else was there to say?

“Is there any way I can convince you to stay away from him?”

You were already looking at the door, wondering if you could remember the route back to the smashed control room alone. The Doctor walked towards you, hands awkwardly behind her back, and you felt a pang of longing for what could have been if she was a little more honest, a little more open.

Her voice was desperate, soft, and it made your heart ache for the happier times you’d spent together. Before the pain which surged back and forth between you, the harsh words and the abandonment. You’d hurt each other irreparably. You couldn’t be happy with her and the _fam_. They would never be enough.

Despite everything, though, you didn’t want to hate her.

“I’ll always remember the adventures we had together,” you promised her.

So much had gone unsaid earlier, in your anger at her for dropping by unannounced and whisking you away like she still had a guarantee you wanted to travel with her. Facing the realisation that this really might be _it_ , you wanted to hug her.

It was strange, wanting to leave her, and yet being so devasted about it.

“What is he, to you?”

She looked afraid to ask it, and you were sure she wouldn’t like your answer. With a sigh, you saw no sense in lying to her.

“I think I love him.”

The drop of her face was enough to confirm it, that there was no getting out of this without hurting someone.

“No mind control,” you promised.

“You can still stay. He’s dangerous.”

Her words were half-hearted. She knew your choice. You shook your head, and she finally left her comfortable spot, rounding the physical barrier of the console so there was only a few feet separating you.

“I know.”

For the first time since you’d known her, she hugged you, awkward and all misplaced limbs. You accepted it, hugging her tightly back. Her face was hidden from you, and you held her as long as she’d let you, hoping you were imagining the ragged breaths which caught in her throat.

“Will he look after you?”

“I think so.”

She nodded against your shoulder, letting you go.

“Thank you, for everything.”

You meant it. For the adventures, for the chance to get more from life than Earth could give you, for the friendships you’d shared with the _fam_ , and for the chance to meet him.

Perhaps she already regretted that last gift.

“Let’s get going, then!”

Her chipper tone was mismatched for the somber mood as you stroked the console goodbye one last time, mumbling your gratitude to the impossible, ancient ship which had first shown you the beauty and terror of this universe. The Doctor strode out the door like this was any other adventure, and you almost expect to be met with the surface of an unknown planet, just one more time.

She led you through the corridors in silence, and you still shivered at the Cybermen as you passed them, recalling the horror concealed inside these metal soldiers.

With a quick instruction to wait for her, The Doctor darted off to check a rack of servers. This was it. Her easy out. She knew you wouldn’t wait.

You kept walking, unexpectedly recognising where you were. He wouldn’t be concealing anything in the corner of a cramped storage room. He would be at the heart of the ship. Waiting for you.

You were right. The doors to the control room hissed open as you approached, revealing him stood in the center of the room. He’d cleaned up, put his jacket back on, brushed his disheveled hair back and lost that snarling, wild-animal demeanor he had been overcome by outside the conversion room, and while he’d spoken to the Doctor. Like the best of his disguises, composure covered his true feelings as he waited for the pair of you, distain on his face and his hands casually strewn in a trouser and jacket pocket.

When he saw you approach alone his performatively curled lip dropped, face slackening as he rushed towards you, open concern on his face. When you didn’t reach out to embrace him, and he stopped, deflated a few feet from you. He tried to lighten the mood, his features picking up into an unnatural smile.

“I told you I’d get you out!”

“You didn’t.” You told him flatly.

He reached for you, and you crossed your arms over yourself, resisting his offer of affection. You wouldn’t go back to him without an apology, if you could help it.

“You left me there.”

“You’re here, you’re…”

He trailed off at the Doctor’s appearance, barging flustered into the room, muttering that she’d ‘told you to wait’. At her entrance the Master wrapped one arm around your waist, pulling you tightly to him. You tried to get away, and he wouldn’t release you.

This was a show, meant only to remind the Doctor her friend had chosen him over her, and you hated it. You didn’t want to help him hurt her.

“Don’t touch me.”

He ignored your snarl. You kicked at his foot, and he broke his grip, allowing you to retreat from the two Timelords.

“Lover’s tiff,” he smiled apologetically to The Doctor, reaching out his hand for yours.

When you retreated further away from him again, he froze. He offered his palms up apologetically, and you noticed they were still littered with cuts, some particularly brutal looking. You suspected the smashed-up control room around you could answer for that. He caught you staring, open horror on your face, and shoved them in his trouser pockets.

“It’s okay,” The Doctor’s Yorkshire lilt tried to settle you, and she approached you from the other side like a scared animal. You recoiled from her too, and the Master stepped in front of you.

“You brought her here!” He scoffed to the other Time Lord. “Don’t pretend you’re any better than me!”

The Doctor was acting like the hero, as usual, treating The Master like a teacher calming a mid-meltdown child. Her soft voice and outstretched palms didn’t seem quite so sincere, on the receiving end. You could understand The Master’s anger, as her gentle voice tried to placate him.

“I brought you what you want, we can trade.”

Suddenly, pieces clicked together.

“You said you didn’t know the Master was here,” you frowned.

“Did I?”

You turned on her.

“This was on purpose. You brought me here _on purpose?_ ”

From the drop of her jaw, you could read that you were right. At least a little bit. You felt your throat tighten with tears. The Master growled.

“How dareyou drag her into this!”

“What? Into _your_ plan?” You caught yourself getting hysterical, but you didn’t care. The Timelords glanced at each other, herding you back towards the glass projection which covered the entire back wall.

“You were supposed to be on Earth! If you had stayed, like I told you –”

Under your glare, he fell silent.

The Doctor, ever playing at being a peacekeeper, tried to step closer to you, only to be matched by the Master. You had nowhere left to go, backed against the dark glass wall of the bunker as they looked between you and each other.

“Doctor, did you… know the Master was here.”

“Yes.”

She had the decency to sound remorseful. You thought back on when you first landed, how quickly you’d lost her, been swept up in the horde of people shepherded towards the conversion chamber. You remembered how you’d feared for your life, the heartbreak on the Master’s face as he’d almost watched you experience a fate worse than death.

How she’d _suddenly decided_ she should have a heart-to-heart with you, the second the Master left you on earth.

“You used me.”

They played this game, and you were a pawn in it. She’d brought you were, let you follow her out of the TARDIS, to _play_ with the Master. Just so she could be the savior, and he could play at matching all of her light with his dark.

“Give me the codes, and this can all end,” she spoke to the Master, refusing to relinquish any of her control as the two of them trapped you. “I’ll let you leave. Everyone downstairs lives. The Cybers get destroyed.”

“You’re monsters,” you whispered.

The two Timelords glanced at each other, not meeting your eye.

“Darling… ” The Master began. You cut him off.

“Don’t.”

“The Cyberium in my head, it was too much. I couldn’t handle it, and if I did this, I could find a way to get it out. I needed their technology, their trust. I’m sorry, love.”

You winced at the pet name. He’d called you that in bed, once, and you’d felt like the happiest person in the universe. You couldn’t even look him in the eye.

“I hope it was worth it.”

Even The Doctor wasn’t speaking. You glanced at her, trying to read anything but shock on from her expression. Following your eyeline, the Master seemed to jolt at the recollection she was even there. Both of you startled as he shoved a hand into the inside of his waistcoat, rummaging.

He threw a small silver communicator underhand to The Doctor, and she barely caught it, inspecting it with unguarded horror.

“Take this. You can dismantle the conversion facility with it, get the people downstairs out.”

She was already at the computer console, sneaking wary glances at the pair of you as her hands flew across the keys, computers still a little scorched from The Master’s earlier go at them. With the second Time Lord out of the picture, The Master turned to you.

“I was destroying this place. For what they did to you.”

“Why did you leave me?” you demanded, “down there?”

“I had to be here, to stop the gas, to freeze the hivemind. I’d already destroyed the Cyberium, I couldn’t stop it. I wasn’t in control.”

You wanted to believe him so badly, the pain in his eyes seemed so real, and he held eye contact with you like you’d never seen before.

“She was never meant to bring you were. I swear, I’ll kill every one of them myself if I have to.”

“Those people down there, they’re just like me. You were going to kill them?”

“They’re not you–”

“Believe it or not Master, I’m _human_. I’m the same as them. I know you hate it, but I’m the same as them.”

“You’re not–”

“I am! And you were willing to let them _die_.”

The tremble of his hand as he reached for your cheek gave away his fear, and you recoiled, wincing as your head collided with the hard glossy wall. The Master flinched too, dropping his hand.

“Think how many would have died if the Cyberium had taken over my mind. Taken my ship. Had _you_.”

The timeline was confusing. Upsetting. Too much to think about. You frowned as you tried to think about it.

“That’s why you dropped me home.”

“I’m sorry, I couldn’t let you see me losing control like that. I thought I could come back when it was all over, if I could get my mind back.”

The Doctor was working noisily, and an alarm started going off as she hacked further and further into the base’s system. Outside, you heard a ringing as a Cyberman crumpled to the ground.

“We need to leave.”

As angry as you were, you nodded quickly, letting him guide you out of the room. As you passed, the Doctor called your name.

“It was the only way, I’m sorry. I had to show him what he was doing…”

Her face was truly devastated, for the brief glimpse of it you caught, but you couldn’t forgive her. The Master’s arm found your waist, guiding you away from her quickly, and you let him.

Betrayal had rooted deep in your gut, making you want to nauseous as you looked at her face. All your history together, and she had knowingly dumped you in the middle of a crowd to be _converted_ into Cybermen. Just to hurt The Master.

You saw those blank creatures, their masks hiding the faces of real people, who had loved and been loved, had dreams and wants and needs.

She’d told you it was the worst thing she could imagine. That she’d lost friends to that cruel death and would never risk losing another. At the time your heart had ached for her, for the suffering she had been through, her only crime trying to do the right thing. Apparently she didn’t consider you a friend anymore.

The screeching of collapsing metal ricocheted off the bare corridors, and the Master moved the two of you faster.

You screamed as a Cyberman moved beside you, an electrical twitch before it collapsed to the ground in a pile of loose metal, and the Master’s arm tightened around your waist even more protectively.

You couldn’t move. Your feet were stuck to the ground as you saw the unnatural way the creature fell, the skeleton inside so decomposed the usual flexibility limits of a human body were far exceeded.

Almost pulling you over with his momentum, the Master stopped beside you. He followed your stare towards the horrific sight beside you, and made a noise of discontent in the back of his throat. With a gentle hand he guided your head away until you couldn’t see the creature anymore and the vision was replaced with his face.

“I’m sorry.”

Against your better judgement, and despite everything you’d been through, you hugged him. In the corridor as the base started to crumple around you, you couldn’t help unravelling at his touch, his head against yours as he pulled you tightly against him, feeling tears welling up in your eyes as you pressed your face to his shoulder.

“Are you okay?” he whispered.

“No.”

Deep red lights illuminated the corridors around you, and you felt his sharp inhale of fear.

“Talk later. We need to run. Now.”

The Master struggled to navigate the corridors, swearing to himself each time he reached a junction, and dragging you in the right direction after a moment of panicked, hitting-his-own-head thought. It brought you some small measure of comfort, in the midst of this horrifying day, that he couldn’t have been here long.

Lungs aching, you fought to keep up with him. Even the Master was stumbling, unused to running for this length of time, and he shot you looks of concern as your human body needed to wheeze for breath. The collapsed bodies of Cybermen and the screaming of alarms were enough to keep you moving as the very structure itself rumbled. The burning pain in your muscles could wait.

You noticed the Master cursing up at the ceiling level above, where the Doctor still resided, muttering. What was she doing?

Finally you let yourself slow at the sight of his ridiculous outback shack. It was completely out of place and blocking a walkway. That stupid ship. You loved it.

It was facing the wrong way, and you had to use the back porch steps to clamber up onto the structure, faltering as the comfort of being near the machine finally let your adrenaline crash. He half-dragged you to keep up as you both rounded the veranda, throwing the doors open and firmly pulling you inside. He rushed to the console as the rumbling of breaking concrete and collapsing earth followed you into the ship, and you didn’t have the heart to care about the destruction happening outside.

The Doctor could handle the people who were trapped. She always did, their savior no matter the cost.

The moment the TARDIS’ doors closed, you fell into that old rickety sofa, and sobbed.

The Master piloted in silence, and once the murmur of the ship engines had stopped, he paced towards you awkwardly. He crouched to sit himself on the low table opposite your curled form, clasped his hands, and bowed his head. He let you cry yourself out, staring out as the windows at the vortex – empty and filled with flashes of colour all at the same time.

After a while he left, coming back with water and tissues, and you took them gratefully.

A few sips of water left you with enough voice to speak, albeit tremblingly, as he watched you worriedly.

“Do you think the bunker collapsed? After we left?”

“Probably. I think she got them out though. The computers could open the doors to the surface.”

“Good,” you said firmly.

“Good that they got out, or that the building collapsed?”

“Both.”

He chuckled, pulling your clenched hand away from your face. He pressed a kiss to your knuckles, keeping them held to his lips. His hands were warm against your fingers as he held them, leant forwards with his elbows resting on his knees, lips surprisingly soft.

You knew he could check the fate of the bunker collapse. Future archeologists would have found it, if no one at the time recorded its outcome. But you didn’t particularly care for the truth. This ending was nicer.

Even after you fidgeted, trying to get more comfortable with him holding your hand away from you, he didn’t let go. You noticed the marring on his hands, already scabbing a little, and turned onto your side to touch the wounds.

“Do these hurt?”

“A little. They’ll heal up with some sleep, though.”

You laughed hollowly. Of course, a nap could heal wounds which you would need stitches for. He smiled sadly against your lips.

“Did you get hurt, at all? I was worried about the gas.”

“I’m a bit bruised, but I’ll be fine.”

The fall and the running made your muscles ache, but the main hurt wasn’t physical.

She’d betrayed you.

“She asked me to leave with her.”

He bowed his head, lips moving against your knuckles as he spoke.

“You said no?”

“Duh.”

He smiled.

“Thank you.”

You shrugged, not totally forgiving of him yet either. The energy had left you to fight. All you wanted was a bit of peace, convalescence before this inevitable game started again. The reckless travel, fighting over how much damage to cause, and the sex he didn’t care about.

How much longer could the two of you keep this up?

You wondered if you’d ever regret the decision to stay with him. When death stared you in the face again? The next time he forgot how human you were? At the pull of the TCE’s trigger, as he killed someone without a second thought?

Maybe then the Doctor’s different-but-equally-grey morals might seem more appealing.

Perhaps if you’d begged her to let you rejoin the ‘fam’, the Doctor might not have used you as a bargaining chip.

“When I saw you through that window… I realised you mean more to me. More than I’d ever expected.”

The admission would have made you swoon, on another day, but you just threw your head back against the wicker armrest, emotionally exhausted.

“I mean it.”

He was watching you for a reaction, and you rolled your head to face him.

His eyebrows drew together in a frown.

“You must be shattered, love.”

You could only nod, and he dropped his forehead to the hand he was clutching, a silent apology.

“What can I do to help? I need you to tell me. I’ve been alone too long, and I’m not good at this stuff –”

His breath was hot against the skin of your hand. It made you shiver.

“I just want a shower. And to sleep. We can talk in the morning I just… I’ve had a long day.”

“Of course.”

It wasn’t a surprise to you, his capacity for tenderness, but you hadn’t seen it this exposed, this prolonged, before. He seemed to move a little easier than he had in the last few weeks, his mind not drifting so far from where it ought to be tethered.

You wondered if he’d ever tell you how badly the Cyberium had affected him.

“Sorry.”

Maybe he knew what your apology was for, maybe he didn’t. Nonetheless he shook his head, helping you up, his hands held out in a silent offer for support walking should you need it. You took your own steps, legs trembling a little from overexertion as you walked alongside him towards the corridor which housed both of your rooms.

“Wait a second,” he murmured, leaving you so he could check a screen, humming at whatever he saw.

Like he’d never left, he was back, arm held out for you to take. You laid a hand across his elbow lightly, not to lean on him, but to be near him.

“What was that?”

“Just checking you’re okay.”

At your puzzled look, he continued, tone dismissive.

“The TARDIS checks your vital signs. That green gas was nasty, unknown, I just wanted to check it didn’t need any immediate attention. Seems like it just knocked you out. How are your muscles feeling?”

“Exhausted, obviously. I think I’ll ache tomorrow.”

He hummed in agreement as you reached your door, surprising you when he opened it for you and followed you inside.

“High lactic acid. Blood-oxygen’s a touch lower than I’d like, too.”

You frowned.

“Do you really measure all that stuff on me?”

“Is it creepy? I hoped it wasn’t. I just… it’s not exactly intrusive, better than a checkup or whatever. It lets me know you’re not about to drop down dead.”

He moved around your room as he spoke, collecting pajamas and your hairbrush, various other bits and bobs you might need in an overnight bag. When he caught you watching him, confused, he walked back to the door. Your possessions were bundled against his chest, secured by one of his hands.

“Come use my bath. There’s some soaks that should help you recover.”

The shake in your legs wasn’t just from the running as you crossed the corridor, surprised by the realisation his door appeared to be unlocked. It was barely six feet from the entrance to your room, but you’d never seen this door open.

You had assumed his room was always locked. When he was in there, absent from the rest of the ship, it meant he wanted to be left strictly alone. Going inside, even with his hand guiding you, felt forbidden.

He’d always fucked you in your room. It was easier for him that way. It allowed him to leave the second he was done, if he wanted to. Even when the pair of you got more comfortable, laying together, spending more time intertwined just reading or watching movies, his space was off limits.

He didn’t miss the way you halted at the threshold, looking around at the curiously designed space. The furniture didn’t match the room, you noticed. Colourless walls were contrasted with a regal four-poster, antique bookshelves stretched high towards an iridescent crystalline ceiling, futuristic inlaid lights illuminated the messiness of a hand-carved oak desk.

Old and new clashed, everything regal and big, but barely filling the oversized space.

“It’s a bit weird,” he conceded, “you can stick to your room if you like.”

“No, no its fine. Just not what I expected.”

He set your things on the bed, and you picked over the sweats he’d brought, clutching them to your chest.

“What did you expect?” he grinned.

“I don’t know. Versailles? Or some kind of BDSM torture chamber?”

With a laugh he appraised the room, biting his lip in amusement.

“Are you disappointed?”

You found yourself grinning too, as he shucked off his coat and lay it over the desk chair.

“A little.”

The newly formed tension between you had felt like a lead weight, and you only realised when it was broken. You bounced on your heels as much as your injured muscles allowed, and let him lead you to the bathroom.

“Don’t change yet, I’ll just grab some shower stuff!”

More classic, the bathroom was all marble, the space dominated by an oversized claw-foot tub. For a moment you realised the pair of you could fit in there comfortably, before brushing the thought away. Exhaustion was making you hazy already. You’d just fall asleep.

Plus, you remembered, you were mad at him.

Ignoring his warning you started to strip off, left in just your underwear by the time he appeared in the doorway with an ‘oh!’

“Its fine. Nothing you haven’t seen before,” you pointed out.

He still looked sheepish.

“Rub this on anywhere that hurts before you get in the water, should stop any inflammation and you’ll feel better in the morning.”

“Help?”

You were too tired to navigate the pain mapped all across your body alone, and you didn’t want to be without company. The screams of the child who’d lost a mother, of the people who’d seen that gas descending, the slamming of the door you’d barely rolled under, they’d all find your ears again as ghosts the moment you were without distraction.

Without you stripping off any further, the pair of you managed to apply the chalky substance all over your body, the honey-sweet smell filling the air as his hands cautiously rubbed it across your muscles. You were more slapdash with your own application, and he quietly returned to spots you’d missed, making sure you wouldn’t ache. His attention to your muscles was so tender and careful, you had to keep talking, just to stop yourself choking up.

“I could have used this on the Doctor’s TARDIS!” you had tried to joke.

The other Timelord was far more fond of running, and you’d woken up countless mornings in agony, even as the fun of the day before electrified the atmosphere in her ship.

The Master stayed silent.

On many levels, you felt you understood him a little better now. It had hurt, to be betrayed by her, but you had something in common now.

“Did it hurt to leave her?” he whispered.

The Master’s eyes were on your calf as he kneaded the substance into your skin, but his hands froze at your momentary silence.

“Yeah. It did. Before I realised what she’d done, at least.”

He nodded silently, swallowing. The pair of you froze as you finally put the glass jar down, accepting that this excuse to be together was done. His hands left your skin and he walked to the sink awkwardly, washing his hands in silence.

He didn’t leave, leaning against the counter and watching you.

“Give me a shout if you need me, okay?”

You smiled, suddenly shy, barely recognising the man in front of you.

“Thanks.”

“I’ll be just outside.”

Finally, he left. He closed the door with a click, and instantly you felt like an intruder, left alone in his bathroom. It was tidy, but everywhere were reminders it was _his_ space. Aside from your clothes folded messily on the counter, there was only his things. A matte black range of branded products scattered the room, lined up by his toothbrush, on a built-in shelf of the shower. You wanted to investigate them, smell them. See which of them were responsible for the smell you associated with _him_.

The tub of hair clay by the sink had the lid slightly ajar, and it made you smile as you corrected it. He must have gotten ready in a rush. It was strange, that he’d even wanted you in here, but you hoped it was some step towards real closeness. There was still so much to say, but that was easy to forget when he was there, caring for you.

You’d only left the Doctor because you could see a future with him – something she couldn’t offer you, surrounded by carelessness and lies and three other companions. The Master could offer you more. You could almost picture your own toothbrush, stood up next to his.

You stripped off your underwear and left it on the countertop, foregoing the tub for the alluring waterfall shower in the corner of the room. It was easily big enough for four people, all natural-cut stone with a simple pair of dials to control it. Beautiful, and completely to the Master’s taste.

Before you had touched anything the TARDIS started the water, a slow trickle turning into a warm sheet of water which made you sigh at the sensation of being underneath it.

“Thanks, dear,” you mimicked how he spoke to the ship, and she flickered the lights in return.

It was heaven, to finally have every remaining atom of that base, that conversion room, those corridors, swept off your skin.

The products you reached for all smelt faintly like him – a matching suite of mildly citrus-scented body wash and hair products. Exhaustion and the smell made you feel dazed as you rubbed the chalky healing substance off your body. The smell of him made you feel somehow guilty as you tried to clean the sweat and grime from your hair and your face. His senses were so attuned, you wondered if it would freak him out. Or whether he’d like it, to have you smelling of him. Like a claim.

If he was still outside the unlocked door the thundering of the water hid any noise he made. You rolled your shoulders and turned the heat up, letting the heaviness of the water rush over you, waiting for this day to make sense.

You had no idea how long you stood there lost in thought. The Master’s voice dragged you back to reality, calling your name worriedly through the door with a rap of his knuckles against the wood.

“Are you okay?”

“All good!”

Calling back, you quickly rinsed your hair before shutting the water off, suddenly driven back to motion by his concern. Back in your early days together he’d often overestimated how much humans could withstand, lamenting the ‘wasted’ hours of sleep you wanted, or the frequency with which you had to eat. He’d gotten better recently. He was aware of how exhaustion affected you, appreciated that you couldn’t walk or run forever. It had amused you when he started carrying food and even occasionally arranging places for you to stay overnight, should your travels require it.

On a fundamental level, he had started caring for you more.

The Master had never gone to this extent, though. Or perhaps you had never needed his care as much. The scans his ship seemed to run on you proved he’d at least been _checking_ your body was okay all this time.

Maybe he’d always just checked your health and opted to let you heal alone, before today.

A deep burgundy towel hung on a heated rail beside the shower and you grabbed it, careful not to slip as you wrapped the material around you. It was oversized, thick and soft, and you couldn’t help the jolt when you felt the warmth of it on your bare skin and remembered it was _his_.

Even though he’d been inside of you, gotten to know you, you’d never been allowed to know him back. Not really. This felt like a start.

You had to brush the thought aside, drying your hair as best you could without a hairdryer, pulling on pajamas and leaving the wet towel back where you found it for the ship to deal with. It took a moment, and a deep breath, for you to finally emerge from the steam-filled room.

The Master was sat on his bed, reading some book from his collection which was quickly strewn onto his desk as you approached.

“Better?”

“Yeah, thanks. I think I’ll still ache tomorrow.”

He looked a little sheepish.

“Hopefully not. That stuff’s pretty good, usually.”

You stood uncomfortably for a moment, waiting for some cue from him on where to go from here. He turned down the bed, silently pulling the covers aside for you to climb in. Then he looked at you expectantly, as if you were obviously supposed to just clamber into his bed. You were surprised, but all too grateful for the comfort.

“Really?”

He left your question unanswered. You settled beneath the sheets, and The Master watched you as he tried to figure out what to do next.

“Do you want me to…”

He was mid-thought, it seemed, asking you if he should leave his own bedroom. You spoke over him.

“Can you stay with me? Just for tonight. We’ll forget it ever happened tomorrow if you want.”

He faltered, still watching you curiously. You wondered what his plan had been, if not to stay with you.

“Every time I close my eyes, I see those fucking metal claws, the insides of those _creatures_ , I –”

Without a word he stripped off his jacket, boots and waistcoat.

“I just need a shower. Give me five minutes.”

You nodded, wrapping the covers around you and trying to get comfortable. You’d never had ‘sides of the bed’ - he’d never stayed long enough to designate those - but you couldn’t shake the feeling you were in the wrong place.

It was stupid. To be having casual sex with the man, to trust him with your life, and not even feel entitled to be sleeping in his bed.

Something had to change.

The Master was barely gone two minutes, emerging from his shower with a towel slung around his hips. He rummaged through his wardrobe before tugging free a pair of checkered pajama trousers, glancing to check you were still there before silently returning to the bathroom to change. You looked away at his half-nakedness, hoping he hadn’t noticed your breath hitch.

The two of you were a mess.

His awkwardness didn’t escape you as he rounded the bed, shirtless and with wet hair.

He climbed in beside you, careful not to touch you, and you tried to be as unobtrusive as possible, letting him pull the covers over himself and refusing to let your bodies roll together, even as the mattress gave. To your surprise, he lay out to mirror you, on his side behind you.

If not to the distance between your bodies, he could be chest to chest with you.

“Comfy?”

You nodded against the pillow, hands self-consciously tucked away in front of you. You could feel it when he spoke, the whisper of his breath on your neck. His head rested inches behind yours, intimate even as the pair of you didn’t touch.

“You smell nice,” he mumbled, nose close to your freshly-washed hair.

You laughed.

“I smell like _you_ , of course you like it!”

That got a chuckle out of him, and you could feel how his body moved the mattress as he exhaled.

“Are you cold? Your hair’s still wet.”

You shrugged, and he brought his arm around you, resting it on you without pulling you in. He made a noise of contentment as you shuffled closer into him, letting him hold you more easily.

With a gulp, you hoped his closeness to you would stop him from recoiling at your question.

“Before you dropped me off… when I fell asleep…”

“I’m sorry.”

Oh.

“So, you did do it.”

“You wouldn’t leave otherwise. It is _not_ safe for humans around Cybermen,” he trailed off.

The question you wanted answered was obvious, hanging in the air, making you tense.

“Its not okay, to mess with people’s heads like that,” you chided him gently, with no anger in your tone, nothing to make him explode at you like he had before.

“I… yeah. I know.”

You frowned, even as you knew he couldn’t see you.

“The Cyberium… it made me not trust myself. It was relentless, talking to me. Muddling my thoughts with the AI…”

“You were scared.”

“I was _furious_. It made me volatile.”

His face buried into your neck. As though this was the most natural thing in the world, you found yourself trusting his touch. You brought a hand up to stroke his hair as he mumbled against your skin.

“I was scared. It threatened to hurt you if I didn’t do what it wanted. I didn’t sleep for a month, couldn’t let my guard down, knowing it might use my body to hurt you. It was trying to get to me.”

You found his arm where it was strewn across your side and covered it with your own arm, squeezed his hand in comfort.

“You should have told me.”

“How could I?”

Without a response you fell silent, thumb tracing the hairs on the back of his hand.

“I hope you’ll forgive me, someday. You shouldn’t have been there. I promise.”

He blamed the Doctor, beyond all anger, he was just upset with her. You could never hope to understand the length and breadth of their tumultuous relationship. It would take a human lifetime to comprehend the bond between them – two near-gods who had been stuck in a game of cat and mouse for their whole lives.

“She used me.”

“I wish she hadn’t.”

Without seeing each other’s faces, it was easier to talk.

“Would you have stopped it, if I hadn’t been there?”

“Eventually. I wanted to destroy the base properly. I wanted a plan. I hate the Cyberium for what it did to me. It should have been power, knowledge, and instead it tried to steal what _I_ knew, take my body for its own. The things it showed me… how it threatened me… I couldn’t let it take what’s mine.”

“The TARDIS…” you realised.

“And you.”

You nodded abruptly at his words.

One thought wouldn’t leave your mind: those people around you, he would have let them die.

Collaterally to you, he’d saved them.

And maybe that could be a start.

“Is the Cyberium totally gone now?”

“Yep! Transferred it to the supercomputer on the base, and then destroyed the machinery. Tricky to hide my plan from the AI, but I managed it.”

You couldn’t help smirking at his brag.

“And how do you feel?”

“Glad to have my mind to myself again,” his tone flattened.

It was hard to believe everything fell together, just like that. It still felt so unfinished, so… unhandled. In the minutes you were alone the feelings of betrayal, the sheer enormity of your ordeal, had felt so unmanageable. Now, you felt ready to heal.

Beneath his hand, your stomach gurgled loudly, and you cringed at the noise.

As you were about to apologise, the Master spoke.

“Wait, did you eat today?”

You frankly had no idea how long _today_ had even been. You shook your head with a confused frown, realising that now the adrenaline had left your system, you were damn hungry.

He clambered out of bed, and you pulled the duvet aside to follow him, your muscles protesting at even the idea of walking to the kitchen.

“No, stay there, you need to rest. I’ll be quick.”

True to his word, a plate of food was dumped on your lap in minutes. Some of it not quite fit for human consumption, but most of it your favourites.

He clambered back into bed beside you. He used his body to prop you up comfortably. He picked off what you didn’t want, chatting away about nothing in particular, and something scarily like peace settled over you. That twinge of panic, the fear his mood would flip on a dime, ebbed further away every time he made sure the blankets were covering your feet. With every second he sat beside you, sneaking bites of your food and laughing when you spilt crumbs on his covers, your resolve grew.

You’d stay.

Maybe you imagined it, but he seemed so much happier in his own head. The dark moments when he wasn’t paying attention never appeared, the mental war he was fighting never sneaking outwards to play across his face. Every laugh felt sincere, every word authentic.

When you were done eating the Master cleared the plate, and you took it in turns to brush your teeth. He went first, and when you took his place in the bathroom you saw a brand-new toothbrush sitting innocently beside his at the sink.

The sight made you feel dizzy, even minutes later when you re-emerged into his darkened bedroom, taking your place once more in the bed. The image of those two toothbrushes side by side was burned into your mind. He pulled you to his shirtless body wordlessly, no hesitations this time, whispering a _goodnight_ as the room fell into pitch-blackness.

You needed to rest.

Each time you closed your eyes, you tensed up. No matter the comfort, The Master had gone still beside you, but you were certain he was still awake.

“Where are we?”

“Somewhere near the Alzarium Galaxy, I believe.”

“How far–”

“Half a universe away, I promise.”

You closed your eyes again, feeling him breathe behind you as you tried to push the image of that collapsed Cyberman from your mind, the screams, that crying, motherless child. You’d seen horrors before, but rarely as the victim of them. Never so close.

Suppressing tears, you opened your eyes, staring into the darkness of the room.

“I can’t sleep.”

He hummed sympathy, pulling you tighter to him and brushing his nose against your neck. You sighed into him, trying to close your eyes again, unable to keep your mind from straying.

“Help me?”

You could talk more tomorrow, when you’d rested and had some distance from everything. But as you fell asleep, dreamless as the Master’s hands cupped your temples, you knew you were home.


End file.
